Sojitz Corporation (“Sojitz”) and Miyazaki Prefecture have concluded a partnership agreement for a comprehensive regional circular economy that will utilize Miyazaki Prefecture’s agricultural resources including fast-growing trees, sorghum*¹and other plants. In honor of the G7 Agriculture Ministers’ Meeting in Miyazaki to be held on April 22^nd through 23^rd of this year, Sojitz and Miyazaki Prefecture will pursue a public-private partnership and begin demonstration trials that utilize Miyazaki Prefecture’s agricultural resources with the aim of building  Miyazaki’s Regional Circular Economy.

As part of its fast-growing tree business, Sojitz began cultivating Japanese aspen*² in May 2022 at trial plantations in Kawaminami Town, Miyazaki Prefecture. In April 2023, Sojitz plans to expand on its Japanese aspen plantations and to newly begin trial production of sorghum in Miyazaki, which includes utilizing unused farmland and vacant plots. The crops will then be used as raw materials for biomass fuel and processed into livestock feed, which will be delivered to consumers as part of a trial for Miyazaki’s Regional Circular Economy model. Through this partnership agreement, Sojitz will receive information on agricultural resource production from Miyazaki Prefecture, and the company plans to collaborate to assess the potential popularization of products.

Japan imports most of its fuel, feed, and other production materials from overseas, and there are growing calls for Japan to shift to a system of sustainable production with further utilization of domestic resources. Sojitz will work together with Miyazaki Prefecture to build Miyazaki’s Regional Circular Economy that contributes towards the growth of Miyazaki Prefecture’s agricultural industry and related industries.

[Signing ceremony with Deputy Governor Hirotaka Nagayama of Miyazaki Prefecture (right)
with Sojitz Corporation’s Senior Managing Executive Officer Masaaki Bito (third from right)]

 

*1: Sorghum: A gramineous plant that is one of the five major grains widely used for everything from food to industrial uses. There are many different varieties of sorghum and some of the fast-growing varieties can grow to over 5m just 4 months after planting.

*2: Japanese aspen (Hakoyanagi): A high-growth, short-rotation tree species that grows approximately 200m³/ha five years after planting.


[Related Information]
“Sojitz Begins Fast-Growing Tree Business for Regional Revitalization in Three Prefectures Including Miyazaki, Yamaguchi, and Okayama.” Sojitz Corp. Press release, 26 May 2022.

[For questions regarding this press release, contact:]
Sojitz Corporation Public Relations Department　+81－3－6871－3404